Everyone Deserves the Festive Cheer

Even though the celebration of Christmas is not a part of my religion, as a kid I always used to celebrate it. I would painstakingly decorate the tree and light scented candles at home. My parents quite enjoyed it too as the house did look beautiful.

On one such Christmas, I bought balloons to decorate the house with whatever pocket money I had saved. Before I stepped into the Church a bunch of street children surrounded me and pleaded me to give me the balloons. Not money, or food but the colorful array of air filled joy. Instinctively I distributed the entire bunch to the kids and they giggled cheerfully as they ran off with a collective “yeah!”. THAT was the best Christmas of my life.

Our association with Angels Orphanage brought back the memories. Only this time, the feeling was amplified because we got to spend it with all the children of the orphanage. A volunteer run home, the orphanage doesn’t have the luxury of grants and depends solely on the benevolence of people. When Urban Company learnt about them, we decided to spread a little cheer to these little angels. And why not? After all everyone deserves to revel in the festive spirit.

For Sabina Solomon, the journey from the year 1991 has seen a lot of welcome changes. From being able to cook for these children to now providing them shelter, tutoring them and also finding steady sources of donor funding, the journey has been enriching. When I ask her what does it take to dedicate one’s life for a cause she smiles and only says, “I am lucky to be with them and to be a part of their lives.”

We soon found out how lucky we were going to be. Children have a natural knack to spread cheer and on an occasion such as this, they participated with an infectious fervor. They could not contain their excitement when they got to know what Urban Company was going to do – throw them their first Christmas party!

All it took was a Christmas tree, a cake, some decorations and lots and lots of cheer! Our Emcee had a lot of inventive games up his sleeve and the participation said it all. The children also joined in and sang carols with the carol singer after gorging on the refreshments. When asked to share her thoughts on the occasion Sabina felt overwhelmed watching the children joyfully enjoying themselves. She said, “It is so good to see them play like this! They really seem to enjoy the party.” 

A private corporation has leased the space for the shelter home where Sabina, the volunteers and more than 50 children reside. The lease will however expire in the year 2020 and the search for a new space will soon be on the agenda. She shares, “It is hard for me to save money for a new building. Whatever I save is always spent for a broken appliance or a sick child. Every day, I do the cooking and cleaning and take care of the children and make sure they are happy. But at night, I worry about the lease and what will happen if I cannot find a home.”

For the children, worrying about a building, food or anything else doesn’t seem to be in the mind. Sabina may not have that luxury but we were glad, even if for a day, we were able to give them moments of joy and a carefree disposition. THIS, was and will be the best Christmas of my life.

Urban Company urges you to help Angels Orphanage in whatever way you can (specially if you based out of Bangalore). A little help can go a long way.